Blogger: Wendy Lawton
Location: Books & Such Central Valley Office
Weather: Sunny and mid-nineties
Last week I spoke to an editor about a potential client who published a recent nonfiction book with their publishing house. Here’s what the editor said, “The manuscript took us by surprise. It needed a tremendous amount of editing when it came in. It was choppy. Transitions were rough and the whole thing needed smoothing.” I asked if they were interested in this author’s next book. Guess what the answer was?
That’s not the kind of surprise you want your editor to receive upon opening your manuscript, but I’m afraid it happens more often than one would guess. I’ve even heard authors quip that grammar and spelling are why we love editors. That may be true but, these days especially, we need to turn in near-perfect manuscripts. I know I sound like a broken record but the market has never been tighter and the competition has never been as stiff. Even if you see yourself as an old hand at publishing, be aware that there are new voices out there– excellent voices– who will only find a slot if you lose yours.
Here’s why sloppiness can be a career killer:
- Publishing houses have had one downsize after another with smaller and smaller staffs to do the same amount of work. Your editor is not a good steward of his time if he allows you to turn in a rough manuscript. He has to answer to management for his time and if you affect his output you will not be his favorite author.
- Many houses are now using outside editors. If the freelancer quoted a price based on a clean manuscript and then he receives one that needs a lot more work, it’s going to come to the attention of the editor. Plus many of these contract editors work for multiple houses and are influential in the industry. Your reputation is at stake. What do you think would hppen if another editor goes to that freelancer and says, “I’m thinking of signing Author X. Would you be willing to edit him?”
- Even with editing a sloppy or disorganized manuscript is not going to make the best book. You cannot risk alienating readers. think about how many times we’ve heard someone say, “Okay, that’s it. That’s the last book I’m going to read from that author.” That’s a carer killer. We need to build audience with every book.
It’s a small world. Word gets around. If you earn a reputation for being last minute and turning in a manuscript that needs a lot of work, listen carefully– the clock is ticking on your career.
Let me ask you: if you are not sure your manuscript is polished to near-perfection what can you do?
This is an interesting subject, Wendy, since it’s been awhile since I’ve read a novel without some copy editing errors. As a writer, it makes me wonder who missed the typos or extra words, etc. They’re small, but they’re noticeable. You make a valid point, though. Who wants to go through a ms. filled with simple correctable errors that should’ve been caught before the thing was submitted?
Good point, Nicole. What’s worse, I’m talking about even more than errors in a manuscript– because of deadline frenzy some writers turn in first draft-quality work thinking they will smooth things out after the first edit. Think how it must feel to the editor upon opening the file and seeing that the book needs so much work.
Ouch. Who sets the deadlines, Wendy? Does it vary per house? Are they flexible if there’s a problem given well in advance?
Wendy–
I believe it helps to have a good support system to check your writing! Having (still) two girls in school allows me a different opportunity. I volunteer often and have become very close to some of the teachers and staff. To my advantage, I have recruited a few of them to read and critique my stories. Being teachers or librarians they do not hesitate to be honest and I welcome it. They may not be professional editors, but, for now I consider myself lucky to have them.
By the way–did you misspell happen (hppen) in your blog just to see who would catch it? Since you are discussing editing I was just wondering.
God Bless–
Yvette
Yvette, I’de love to say that bit of sloppiness was on purpose, but . . . well . . . all I can say is good catch. I’m leaving it there for the humility value.
Nicole, deadlines are set at contract between the editor and the writer. As to whether they are flexible with plenty of advance notice– maybe, but it’s never a good thing. Too many other work/ print schedules connect to your deadline. When a writer misses a deadline it takes a whole redo of the in-house scheduling.
Sometimes– if it causes a book to miss the season– it initiates all kinds of chaos, like the book appearing in the wrong catalog, or missing its publicity window.
Writers need to think of deadlines as a fixed commitment.
Wendy-
I have found that after several revisions, I don’t always see the errors. Perhaps because it’s so familiar by that time. Would you recommend using a professional editing service before submitting a manuscript?
I very much enjoy reading this blog and have learned so much!
Cery
Cery, I don’t think it’s necessary (or even necessarily good) to have a manuscript professionally edited before submitting it. Unless of course you are seriously spelling- or grammar-challenged.
If I implied that you need every comma and semi-colon perfect in your manuscript, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put that kind of pressure on us– we’re all human and that IS what good editors are for. The sloppiness I’m talking about is an unrefined manuscript.
There are challenging timelines, economics and other influencers that could pressure someone to turn in lower quality writing.
But for me, one of the real joys of our craft comes from taking that rough block of marble and working it continuously until it’s complete and full of power and expression.
Why surrender the glory of that moment to some outsourced editor?
Where copy-editing is concerned, Jan Swafford has an excellent article at Slate–Page 2 is especially relevant.
http://www.slate.com/id/2258054
His advice? Print your drafts, print your drafts, print your drafts, print your drafts. Just do it. It really does look different on paper.
🙂
Prior to my life as a novelist, I was an editor for the PR department in small university. We edited most of the university publications. Here are a few tips (learned the hard way) for catching those frustrating errors.
1. Do at least one edit on an actual physical copy of the manuscript. You’ll see errors you didn’t notice on the computer screen.
2. On the physical copy, set a ruler under each line as you read it. Your eyes will slow down, and you’ll catch more errors.
3. Photo, illustration, and graph captions – as well as headings for chapter divisions – require an extra edit.
4. Do double checks on sentences that continue over a page break.
5. Do one “read-aloud” edit. You’ll catch awkward phrasing, unintended rhymes, and tongue-twisters. You’ll also be more likely to notice overuse of a single word within a paragraph or on a page.
6. Consistency is of prime importance in a polished manuscript. (Did you catch that tongue-twister? It doesn’t count as lofty alliteration if it’s hard to say or makes you spit!) Construct or consult a style sheet.
Hope this helps!
Wow, Lucy and Sue! Thank you so much for those great tips. I’m going to print out Sue’s list for my own editing. #6 is so important before you turn your book in. Many writers forget to check their manuscript against publishers style guide.
This is a great post, Wendy. I think it’s okay to remind us to be professional and polished in all we do. Editing is hard, but it is part of writing and if a writer wants the shortcut, they shouldn’t be in the business.
Wendy,
From one of those outsource editors, here’s another area to check, for nonfiction writers: quotes and quoted sources. (You DO make copies of the pages you’re quoting from or note where online you found them, right?) I doubt I’ve ever edited a book where all the quotes were accurate and every quote used ellipsis points correctly.
Many houses seem not to require authors to submit copies of (or links to) the sources they quote. But it’s wise to do so, or at least to have someone you trust check them before you submit the manuscript. (When others quote your book someday, don’t you want them to get YOUR words right?)
Be sure the page numbers show on your copies so your endnotes can be checked as well, and provide a copy of (or links to) the pages with the pub data–title page and copyright page–for the books you quote. This will allow your editor to check the info without having to hunt for it first.
Last tip: Check Scripture quotes too. We all tend to quote Scripture from “memory” as we write. But often that means a combination of versions, and those can be time-consuming to decipher sometimes!
Diane Stortz
Great tips, Diane! As someone who’s been both an in house editor and an outsource editor, she knows.
It’s especially important to have a hard copy of a website source because websites can change and the URL you reference can be a whole different page by the time you come back to it.
And yes, the writer is responsible to get permissions and provide accurate endnotes.
How about doing a search for favorite words? I printed my manuscript last week and read it pretty much straight through. That’s how I realized the word “nondescript” kept popping up. When I did a search, I found I had a nondescript town, nondescript tie, nondescript building, nondescript conference room, and a nondescript sedan. Now only the town remains nondescript.
Where does one find the publishers style sheet? Also, if your not contracted w/ a specific house, what style sheet should you follow?
Really basic, but what exactly is a style sheet?
Thanks for all the great tips. I’ve learned a lot from your blog since finding it a few months ago.
Melissa, generally when you get a contract you also get a copy of the house’s style guide. It has such things as whether deity pronouns are capitalized, etc. They also may tell you how to submit– hard copies and electronic– and how to footnote, document and get permissions.
I looked up my stylebook from Moody Publishers (my longtime publisher for middle grade fiction) and they recommend the following as standards:
Webster’s Tenth New Collegiate Dictionary
Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition
The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style
I like the idea of running a search. Good one! And Sue’s #2–use a ruler–is something I’m going to start doing as well.
Thanks, everybody. 🙂
I like that.
A great thread! Thanks for posting this Wendy. I just cross pollenated your blog to my group and wrote…
“I don’t know if Anna Lowenstein is reading this post, but I’m so grateful to her for raising the bar for our presentations to the writer’s group we belong. I always think of it as “Anna worthy” presentation. It has always been important to edit, spellcheck, grammar check before presenting to another set of eyes…now more than ever as the booksandsuch blog discusses…”
Our writing group discuss and use many of the suggestions listed here–the evolution of our writing in general is evidence of the value of these recommendations. I especially appreciate reading the text out loud…it’s a sure way to hear the rhythm and tongue twisters.
I have a Thesaurus on my dock and use it….my left hand helper so to speak. I also like to turn on my “track changes” in my software during my edits. This feature offers suggestions along the way…not that I agree with all of them, but I read them. Our group meets monthly and I send a .pdf of these edits with the screen comments to the author…it’s been a big help. I always appreciate most of the comments I receive from the other group members….not that I agree with all of them, but I read them.
In the two days since I’ve been introduced to this site, I am itching to get back to my project. I like when that happens.
Thanks again for this blog.
Oooops. My “I like that” reply was to Michael Reynolds comment above. I thought that my comment would align to his. I’m new here.